NH attorney general asks families to report social media impacts
CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire's attorney general is looking for families to share stories of teens and children who have been hurt by social media.
It's part of a national investigation into the impacts of social media on youth.
"We want to hear from people who have loved ones, particularly young people, who have been negatively affected by social media," said Attorney General John Formella. "Extensive social media use has been tied to profound risks of harm in youth. Indeed, there has been an increased focus on the correlation between the development of serious mental health disorders by minors and time spent on social media."
The New Hampshire Attorney General's office has been investigating the impacts of social media for two years, including looking at social media platforms' business practices; talking with educators and medical experts; and working with attorneys general across the U.S. Additionally, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed an executive order calling for a curriculum on the dangers of social media to be added to health classes in grades K-12.
"Eliminating the harmful effects of social media on New Hampshire's youth and holding social media platforms accountable for their actions is a top priority for me," Formella said.
The impact of social media on children and teens has been garnering national attention lately, with some saying that social media is interfering with the ability to focus. Last month, the surgeon general issued a warning about the negative effects of social media on youth. Also in May, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act in the Senate to give parents controls to identify harmful behavior and report negative content.
In March, the Westport School District in Massachusetts joined a lawsuit against Facebook, Instagram and TikTok alleging that social media has a negative impact on young people.
In April, Boston Children's Hospital released a study detailing both the positive and negative effects of social media on children.
Anyone who has witnessed or experienced the negative impacts of social media is encouraged to email SMPImpact@doj.nh.gov.
